The Histology Shared Resource was started in 1978 at the request of basic scientists to help FHCRC scientists heeding histological preparation of tissue and cells from in vivo and in vitro experiments. Primarily designed to provide voluminous routine histology, the service soon generated additional demands for specialized methods as well, such as immunohistology and histochemistry. Since its inception, there has been significant demand for resource services from a wide variety of programs within the FHCRC. The group has developed and applied a number of published techniques and adapted several others for manual or automated performance as appropriate. This has contributed to a large number of publications generated as a result of the activities of the Histology Shared Resource. The importance to and variety of scientific, peer- reviewed projects relying heavily on the resource is described further in this narrative (See "Science Supported").